TVK Leads in Tamil Nadu While BJP Ahead in Bengal and Assam Bypolls

The political landscape across multiple states faced an early electoral test on Friday (October 9, 2026), as vote counting began for by‑elections held on Tuesday (October 6, 2026). The contests span five Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry, alongside one Lok Sabha seat in Assam. The outcomes carry different stakes for regional and national outfits alike, with newcomer administrations defending recent gains and opposition parties seeking to claw back ground.

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam Defends Early Momentum in Tamil Nadu

In Tamil Nadu, vote counting for the reserved Assembly seats of Madurantakam and Dharapuram proceeded under a three‑tier security cover, as reported by The Hindu. The election marks the first major test for the ruling Tamilaga Vettr​i Kazhagam (TVK) since it came to power in May under Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay. Opposition parties, including the DMK and the AIADMK, view the contests as an opportunity to gauge shifting voter sentiment.

Initial rounds produced a fluctuating race in Dharapuram, where AIADMK candidate K. Banumathi and TVK candidate P. Sathyabama traded early leads, a pattern noted by both rediff.com and LiveMint. As counting progressed through later rounds, TVK’s Sathyabama extended her advantage, outpacing DMK’s S. Suganya and AIADMK’s Banumathi, as reflected in later vote‑share updates from The Hindu. In Madurantakam, TVK candidate K. Maragatham Kumaravel established and maintained a steady lead over opponents from the DMK and AIADMK, with the counting process briefly interrupted during the tenth round after agents reported a missing pin on an Electronic Voting Machine — an incident also covered by The Hindu. Independent candidate Dr. G. Moorthy alleged a separate EVM malfunction in the same constituency.

Bharatiya Janata Party Takes Command in West Bengal and Assam

West Bengal’s by‑elections in Nandigram and Rejinagar offered the first major electoral barometer since the BJP replaced the Trinamool Congress in power earlier this year, as noted by The Hindu. In Nandigram, BJP candidate Hasirani Rath — the mother of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s slain personal assistant Chandranath Rath, built a massive lead over her opponents, including Congress nominee Milan Pradhan. The seat was vacated after Suvendu Adhikari retained the Bhabanipur constituency, a fact reported by both The Hindu and LiveMint.

In the Muslim‑majority constituency of Rejinagar, BJP candidate Shankharavh Sarkar opened a significant lead over rivals, including Golam Nabi Azad of the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP). The campaign period in Rejinagar saw high tension, marked by the arrest of AJUP chief and Nowda MLA Humayun Kabir following a confrontation with police during polling, a development recorded by The Hindu.

Meanwhile, in Assam, former IAS officer and BJP candidate Devasish Sharma established a commanding lead in the Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency over his nearest challenger, AIUDF chief Mohammed Badruddin Ajmal, with Congress candidate Sibamoni Bora trailing in third place. The seat became vacant after former incumbent Pradyut Bordoloi quit the Congress, joined the BJP and won the Dispur Assembly seat earlier in the year, as detailed by The Hindu and LiveMint.

All India N.R. Congress Secures Victory in Puducherry

Puducherry delivered the first confirmed result of the day. All India N.R. Congress (AINRC) candidate Ashok Anand won the Thattanchavady Assembly by‑poll, securing 13,358 votes and defeating Congress candidate E. Vinayagam by a margin of 8,482 votes. The seat had been vacated by Puducherry Chief Minister and AINRC founder N. Rangasamy after he won multiple constituencies in the April 2026 Assembly elections. Anand’s victory margin was almost double that achieved by Rangasamy in the previous contest, as reported by both The Hindu and rediff.com.

As final vote tabulation concludes across the remaining constituencies, election officials and political parties await official confirmation of margins in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal to determine the final composition of the respective assemblies and parliamentary benches.